Board | ASCE MLAB

MEET THE BOARD

JON ONTIVEROS | PRESIDENT

Jonathan Ontiveros is an Associate Engineer with the City of Pasadena, Water & Power Department. He has over 9+ years of combined experience in both public & private sectors, with specialties in Water Distribution Systems, Land Development, and Geotechnical Engineering. Jonathan earned his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from California State University, Northridge, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Jonathan has previously served on the board for ASCE MLAB as the co-chair of Government Relations, and aims to support MLAB in his role as President-Elect. In his free time, he enjoys traveling the country and exploring national parks with his family.

FELIPE VAZQUEZ | PAST-PRESIDENT

Felipe Vazquez is a Principal Environmental Specialist at LA Metro, where he leads comprehensive environmental compliance efforts across all phases of major capital projects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from UC Irvine. Deeply invested in the civil engineering community, He has an extensive history of leadership and service within ASCE. His contributions span founding the ASCE West TN YMG, coordinating major STEM outreach events with the LA YMF, and serving as Secretary, President, and now Past President of ASCE MLAB. He is passionate about STEM education, supporting engineering students, and inspiring professionals to engage with their communities. His hobbies include weight training, traveling, live music, and spending time with friends, family, and his dog, Benito.

MATTHEW JACOBSON | PRESIDENT-ELECT

Matthew Jacobson, P.E., ENV SP, A.M.ASCE is a Civil Analyst with Kimley-Horn in Los Angeles specializing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He has worked on projects through phases of their life cycle from marketing, data collection, planning, design, and construction. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Matthew is involved locally as the ASCE LA YMF President-Elect, ASCE LA Branch Vice President, and serves nationally on the ASCE Committee on Younger Members and ASCE Committee on Governing Documents. In his free time, Matthew enjoys running, photography, golfing, and music festivals.

ANI SARKISSIAN | VICE PRESIDENT

Ani is a Civil Engineering Associate at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and is a licensed Professional Engineer in California. She's been involved with ASCE since her freshman year of college. Ani currently serves as the ASCE LA YMF President, and YMF Liason for the Metropolitan LA Branch. In her spare time, Ani enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach, trying new food spots, and going to concerts.

HANK FUNG | TREASURER

Hank Fung is a senior civil engineer at Los Anglees County Public Works overseeing environmental planning for the County's transportation projects. Previous to this position, he did roadway design, project management, coordination with Caltrans and helped manage the County's $300+ million transportation budget. He started with the County in 2003 in the County's transit operations section assisting with the management of the unincorporated County shuttle system and bus stops. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 2003 and Cal Poly Pomona with a master's in public administration from Cal Poly Pomona. In his free time Hank enjoys traveling, playing craps and poker, and cheering on the Cal Bears.

VACANT | SECRETARY

BELLA SALGADO | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CO-CHAIR

Isabella is a Civil Engineering Associate II at the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering. She has a BS in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and has experience in both the private and public sectors. She enjoys traveling, playing pickleball and tennis. As a foodie, one of her favorite pastimes in Los Angeles is trying different restaurants.

MICHAEL CHRISTENSEN | GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CO-CHAIR

KATHERINE WANG | AWARDS CO-CHAIR

Katherine is a Civil Analyst at Kimley-Horn, focusing on transportation projects. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Since her first year of college, Katherine has been actively involved in ASCE, taking on various leadership roles, including serving as the student chapter's President during her senior year. She is excited to continue her involvement with ASCE and is committed to sharing the many opportunities the organization has to offer. In her free time, Katherine enjoys exploring new restaurants, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Fun Fact: Katherine loves animals and currently shares her home with several dogs, cats, fish, a bird, and a tortoise.

NIKOLE YAKOUB | AWARDS CO-CHAIR

Nicole is a Project Engineer at BNBuilders working on large commercial construction projects. She graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering. At CSUN, she actively served as the student chapter Vice President in 2022 when they hosted the Pacific Southwest Symposium. She is really excited to give back and to actively participate in ASCE MLAB.

ROYA FALAHATI | CO-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR

Roya Falahati is an Engineer in City of Pasadena Public Works, managing Capital Improvement. In her previous positions in public sectors, such as County of Los Angeles, she gained experiences in traffic design and transportation safety enhancements projects, as well as seeking funding by applying for Federal or State grants. Roya holds dual licenses in California, as PE and TE. Academically, she graduated from California Polytechnic-Pomona with a master’s degree in civil engineering. Her passions include volunteering in cultural organizations and STEAM to talk with K-12 students about careers in careers in STEAM. In her free time, Roya hikes in local hiking trails, plays sports, and when possible, she travels to new places as she believes visiting other cities and countires has helped her as an engineer.

WILLIAM ELDER | CO-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR

FLORA DIAZ | MENTORSHIP CO-CHAIR

MINERVA RODRIGUEZ | MENTORSHIP CO-CHAIR

Minerva is the Los Angeles Area Manager at Parsons Minerva, born in Mexico, is a first-generation college graduate with a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Passionate about mentoring, Minerva aims to guide her mentees to avoid the mistakes she made, focusing on building relationships and communication.

BEN BAKER | NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Benjamin Baker, P.E., is currently a Senior Civil Project Engineer with GFT. He has a Master's of Science in Civil Engineering and Project Management from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor's of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA. He serves on the UCLA Engineering Alumni Association Board. He has been involved with ASCE since 2006, including as a former officer and project manager for the UCLA student chapter, where he has served as a Practitioner Advisor since 2015. He was the 2022-2023 ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch President and has served as Treasurer multiple years.

C. SHAWN SUN | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH CHAIR

Shawn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management at California State University, Northridge. He has more than 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and professional practice in structural engineering. Prior to his transition to academia, he was involved in the design, construction engineering, inspection, and rehabilitation of a wide range of structures, including buildings, bridges, tunnels, and culverts. In his spare time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his family and playing badminton and volleyball.

KEVIN WOODS | SOCIAL CHAIR

Kevin Woods is a project manager in the storm water maintenance team at Los Angeles County Public Works. He received his B.S. & M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing basketball and soccer, snowboarding, and traveling the world to ride roller coasters.

MATTHEW JACOBSON | YMF LIAISON